


Introducing Norbert

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Het, Romance, Secrets, everything's better with DRAGONS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 09:19:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8322418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: "Is that a dragon?" Or the one where Joe finds out another of STAR Labs secrets.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Theme: free for all  
> Prompt: Any, any, ...did you just conjure (or genetically create) a dragon??
> 
> http://comment-fic.livejournal.com/760318.html?thread=100030206#t100030206

"Is that what I think it is?" 

Caitlin and Cisco froze in place, staring at one another and Caitlin was sure that her eyes were at least as large as Cisco's were. Slowly, carefully, each of them turned to look into the definitely amazed, slightly horrified face of Joe West who was looking not at them but into the room beyond. 

"What are you doing here?" Caitlin was well aware that her voice was a little on the hysterical end of the spectrum and she took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down. 

"You were late, I came looking for you..." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cisco narrow his eyes at her and she fought the urge to glare at him. She was not going to take the blame for this; she'd warned him she had plans. "Are you guys seriously keeping a dragon down here?"

"Caitlin..." Cisco's voice was full of warning and at that, Caitlin did whip her head around and yes, she did glare. 

"I've got this," she all but hissed, looping her arm through Joe's and steering him down the corridor. 

"A dragon?" He waited until they stopped, until they were facing one another, to ask again. "Are you kidding me? Telepathic gorillas weren't enough for you people; what the hell kind of science were you doing here?" 

Caitlin crossed her arms over her chest and let him speak, let him get it all out. When she thought that he was finished, she said, "It was one of Doctor Wells's..." She stopped, shuddered, tried again. "Thawne's projects. Splicing DNA of various amphibians together, see what we could create. Norbert's the only one who survived." 

"Norbert?" Joe's voice was almost faint and Caitlin felt her cheeks heat. 

"Cisco named him," she said and even after all this time she still thought it was ridiculous, still couldn't believe they'd let him do it. "It's after-"

"I know what it's after." He almost snapped at her and she blinked. Her surprise must have shown in her face because his voice was gentler when he continued, "I raised Barry Allen, you think I don't know a Harry Potter reference when I hear it?"

Bizarrely, suddenly, Caitlin found herself fighting back a smile and she pressed her lips very hard together to stop it sneaking out. "He's very tame," she told him eventually. "And as you can see, he's small. And he's not going to grow any bigger." Norbert was roughly the same size as a Komodo dragon, although his wings made him look a lot larger. 

"How tame are we talking about?" Joe looked suspicious but his voice was stronger now, more certain. 

"He literally eats out of your hand. You can try it if you like." She was being completely serious but Joe's face dropped and he shook his head quickly. 

"I think I'll pass." He ran a hand over his face, shook his head again, this time in clear disbelief. "Dragons." 

Caitlin bit her lip. "Would you like to go get a drink some place?" They'd been planning dinner but she could wait. 

"Excellent idea." Joe was heading towards the elevators when he stopped suddenly, looked around at all the other closed doors. "You got anything else hiding down here I need to know about?" 

Caitlin looked around her, considered. Then she looked back at Joe, slipped her arm into his and patted his chest with her other hand. "Let's go get you that drink," she said and his gulp was audible. "I think you're going to need it."


End file.
